Anna Soubry MP, Broxtowe voted in favour of introducing the concept of planning permission in principle for new housing developments in England, a concept intended to separate issues of land-use and scale from technical details of design.

The majority of MPs voted in favour of introducing the concept of planning permission in principle for new housing developments in England, a concept intended to separate issues of land-use and scale from technical details of design.

The motion supported by the majority of MPs and the majority of MPs for English constituencies was:

On its own permission in principle does not allow development of the land. Section 57 of the 1990 Act continues to provide that in order to develop the land planning permission is still required. But where permission in principle is granted for land an applicant may obtain planning permission by applying for technical details consent.

The authority must determine an application for technical details consent in accordance with the relevant permission in principle.

Minister Brandon Lewis had explained the concept of "permission in principle" saying, in answer to a question in the House of Commons[2]:

"Our proposal is to grant permission in principle for identified sites in a new statutory brownfield register to move towards a zonal system similar to that seen in other countries."

The explanatory notes to the regulations[1] further expand on the reasoning behind the new "permission in principle" planning consent saying:

‘Permission in principle’ is designed to separate decision making on ‘in principle’ issues addressing land use, location, and amount of development from matters of technical detail, such as what the buildings will look like. The aim is to give up-front certainty that the fundamental principles are acceptable before developers need to get into costly, technical matters.

Prior to introduction of the "permission in principle" context there was a system enabling applications for, and granting of, "outline planning permission" stating:

An application for outline planning permission allows for a decision on the general principles of how a site can be developed.

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